Collapsible box



H. H. YERKET AL COLLAPSIBLE BOX Filed April 26', 1924 July 27 1926.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 N VEN TOR-S A TT ORNE Y.

. H. H: YERK ET AL CQLLAiSIBLE Box Filed April 26, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 27, 1926. 1,594,140

' H. H. YERK Er AL 3 COLLAPSIBLE BOX 7 Filed April 26, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet :5

M M INVENTORS:

A TTORNEY.

Patented July 27, I

HENRYH. mam s w nn ir. BAnMBnnGEa'or Dive-meat; 1am, Assreivons T0 MICRO vmonnvn COMPANY, or BETTENDORF, own, -A o'onroanrro'x orfrown, f

' Application filed April 26, 1924. S eria1'No.709', 095L% I This inventionfrelates to folding boxes or tion which can be readily- Collapsed into a compact form in which thep'arts of the'box are al-l nested together and enclosed within rigid parts otthe box so that they are efiectively' protected against injury by rough handling duringreturn shipment} I A further object is to provide a box which has an outwardly opening lid which is adapted-to be nested within the box when f :thebox is folded.

A further object is to provide rigid brace for theinterior of the box which engages the inner sides of the walls when'the box is extended and folds between the walls when the box is collapsed A further object is to provide locking vdevice adapted to cooperate with the cover to lock the'box against collapse -.or to lock the box-in collapsed condition." y

With the above 'and other objects in new, the invention may besaid tocompris'e the structure illustrated in the 'accompanying drawings, hereinafterdescribed and par--' ticularly set forth'inthe appended claims,

together with such variations and modifications thereof as will be apparent to those skilledin-the art to which'the invention ap- Reference"should'be-had .to the accompanying drawings forminga part of this specification, in which i I r Figure 1 is aperspectivelview of-the box with the cover closed, Fig.2 is a fragmentary View similar to Fig l with the cover nested within the box and a portion of the walls broken away: to show theinterior construction.

8 1s a secti0nal ,-perspective' view of the box in collapsed position, the section be-' ing taken longitudinally of t e box. 7' Fig. 4 isia. sectional, perspectlve view of the box collapsed, the

transversely'of thebox. 1

Referring to the accompanyingdrawings,

the box consists of rigid front: and rear walls connected by inwardly .folding side walls and having its ends closed by a hinged bottom, and outwardly swingingcover.

ned to be folded-into compact form tor sectionbeing taken" 7 T by a releasable latch 18 plvotally suspended The-frontwalll' and the reariwall 2 are each formed of single piece of sheet metal" which is flanged inwardly at the bottom and along the sides. The front and rear walls arer ei'nforced by V-shap'ed corner bars 3 eX- tendlng from top to bottom and secured .along thevcor'ners tothejinwardly extending,

sideflanges and tothe faceof the wall, and

by longitudinally extending, ribbed, sheet metalbars' 4: which are'bent over and secured to the bottom flanges and tn reinforcing bars- 5 fand 6 secured along the top edgesof the front rean-wasls 'l' and 2:, The flanges of the corner V bars'3 p1ojectbeyond-the be cc-llapse'd'to bring the inwardlyproject ing' flanges substantially into contact.

.Tlie botto m"wall 9 is hinged along one edgeto theliront'wall l im nediately above the inturned bottom flangethereot and is adapted to be swung upwardly between the inturned side flanges of thefront wall when the box is'foldedl Along its free edge the bottom 9 is {provided with a downturned flange IO which is adapted to fit in a channel bar ll fixed to the reariwall immediately above'the'inturned flange at the, lower edge thereoi-A latch: plate 12 projects rearward'lyfromxthe' front wall-i1 immediately beneath the bottom 9 andrthis latch plate isfprovidedfltvitlra slottedsend portion 13 which, when the box is: collapsed, extends throughia slot 13". in the rear wall 2 andis engagedby'fa latch 14' on therear wall to lock the boxfiat its lower end in collapsed position. s r v I -Adj'acent its tree end the bottom '9 has arms 15 pivoted'to' the sides thereof which extend upwardly alongthe side walls and are, pivotally connected at their upper ends to a rectangular bracingframe l6 which engages the'inne'r faces'ot the front, rear and side walls, being held in placewithin bracke ets 17 securedtothe side and rear walls and trom'the frame and engaging a' lug 18 on the inner side ofthe rearwal lf When the bottom wall is swun g upwardlly to folded. position, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig} are; brace is lifted outof the supportingbrackets and folded. between the side flanges of the front wall, the bottom wall and bracing frame being retained in folded position by the side walls when folded inwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4. p

The top reinforcing bar 6 which 1s secured to the top edge of the rear wallis metal and has a beaded rear edge 22Pwhich is adapted to be engaged between the upper edge of the plate 20 and the downwardly projecting edge 2O of the bar 6. The cover 22 is provided with downturned flanges 23 along its sides adapted to engage the outer sides of the side walls. 7 and 8 along their upper edges. The cover 22 is also provided with a downturned flange 24 along its forward free edge which engages in a channel 24* formed along the inner edge of the reinforcing bar 5, said bar being secured along the upper. edge of the front wall. Along the inner side of the front wall and adjacent its upper edge is a housing 33 in which are a series of latches 25 withhooked upper ends adapted to be engaged over the outer edge of the. cover to lock the same in closed position, the latches 25 having gear segments at their lower ends which engage with gear segments 26 carried by a rock shaft 27 which extends lengthwise of the housing 33. When the shaft 27 is turned by any suitable means, such as the handle 2', the latches are shifted to and from locking position. When the 'covjer 22 is released, it may be swung upwardly to substantially vertical position and slipped down into the pocket 21 carried by the rear wall, as shown in full lines in Fig. The cover is stamped from sheet metal and has suitable reinforcing ribs surrounding a depressed, central portion, in which is secured a suitable handle 28 by means of which the cover may be raised. The

' depression in the cover brings the topv of the handle substantially flush with the edge portions ofthe cover so that the handle does not interfere with the nesting of the cover within the pocket on the rear wall.

' Along the free edge thereof, the cover 22 is provided on its under side with a chanrlel 29 in which there is positioned an extension member 30' which. is pivoted along the outer side of the channel 29. When the cover is in use, the extension member 30 when the box is folded as shown in Fig.

2, is adapted to engage in the channel at the inner edge of the reinforcing bar 5 and to be engaged by the latches 25 to lockthe upper end of the'box in folded position.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4:, when the box is folded, the front and rear walls are locked against separation at the bottom by the latch 13 and at the top by the latches 25, all parts of the box being nested between the front and rear walls. TheV-shaped corner reinforcing bars project outwardly from the corners of the walls and provide rigid supports for the box when folded. F

To extend the box for use the latches 13 and 25 are released, the front and rear walls are pulled apart to extend the side walls, and the bottom wall isswung down to position against the bottom flanges of the front and rear walls, carrying with it the bracing frame .16 which swings down into engagement with the supporting brackets 17 and is retained by the latch 18. The cover 22 may then be lifted out of its pocket and svmng down to cover'the open top of the box, with the extension member swung underneath the channel 29 Upon the upper edges of eachv of the side sections 7 are mounted bridge members 7 which conform to the roll top edges of these sections and are adapted'to be slid along them to engage the sections 8, 8 when they are aligned'respectively with sections 7, 7, that is, when the box is in open position. The members 7*, therefore, serveto hold the upper parts of the sections 7, 8 rigidly together against swinging movement inwardly. in order to limit the sliding movement of the member 7 alongthe top of section 7, lug 7 is provided to project downwardly and engage the hinge. Of course when it is desired to collapse the. box the members '7 are moved so that they are positioned entirely on sections 7 and do not engage sections 8.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that i edfor swinging movement on one of the walls thereof, and a housing upon the inner side of said wall adapted to receive the cover.

' ceive the cover.

A 2. A box having front and rear and side walls,a cover mountedfor swinging movee edgesof the side walls, and a housing on the inner side of the rear wall adapted to re- 3. A box having front, rear and sidewalls,

' the front and rear walls projecting above the side walls, a cover hinged to the rear wall upon the inner side thereof, said cover having side edge portions adapted .to over-i rear walls, side walls adapted to be collapsed lie the upper edges of the side walls,a front cure the same in closed position, and a'housedge portion which, when the cover is in closed position, lies :within the upper edge of the front wall, a lock carried by the front Wall and engageable with tllGGOVBI' to seing carried by thevrear wall on the inner side thereof adapted to receive said cover when the latter is in open position.

' 4. A folding box comprising front and rearwalls, side walls formedof hinged sections adapted to be collapsed between the front and rear walls, a swinging cover form- 111g a closure for one end of the box, said cover being collapsible between the front and rear walls, and" an auxiliary closure 'member carried by thecover vfor closingthe end of thebox when the same is folded.

5. The invention specified in claim A in I which means are provided to engage said auxiliary closure to lock it in closing posi tion.

6.. A folding box comprising front and rear walls, side walls formed of hinged sections adapted to be collapsed between the front and rear walls, a bodily movable cover forming a closure for one end of the box,

means on the inside of the rear wall to receive said coverwhenthe box is in collapsed position, an auxiliary closure member carried by the cover to close the end of the box when the same is collapsed, and releasable means carried by the front wallto lock said auxiliary cover in closed position.

7. A folding box comprising front "and rear walls, side walls formed of hinged sections adapted to be collapsedbetween the front and rear walls, a cover. adapted to be collapsed between the front and rear walls, and a lock adapted to cooperate withthe cover when the box is extended to secure the cover in closed position and hold the boxagainst collapse and when the, box is collapsed to holdthevboxagainst opening'move- I ment. r v

8. A folding box comprising from and rear walls, side walls formed ofhinged sections adapted to be folded inwardly between the front and rear-walls, a bottom wall adapted to be folded between the front and rear walls,-and a rectangular bracing framewithin the box adapted to engage theinner' faces of the walls intermediate the ends'of the box, said framebeing foldable with the bottom Wall between the. front and rear walls. 9. A ;folciing'box having rigid front and} between the front and rear walls, a bottom sure member being collapsible between the front and rear Walls. 11. A folding box having a rear wall with inwardly extending side flanges, a housing between the side. flanges of said rear wall,

a front Wall, collapsible sidewalls connecting the front and rear walls, a cover adapted an auxiliary closure member. hinged to the outer'edge portion of the cover and adapted ,wall hinged to a'rigid wall and adapted to be folded tojsubstantially vertical position box having front and rear to be positioned within said housing or to extend across the upper end ofthe'box, and.

to close the end of'thebox when the box'is folded.

rear walls having inturned flanges along the 12. Afolding box having rigid'front and' side and end edges thereof, collapsible side walls hinged to the side flanges of the front and rear walls, an inwardly foldingbottom wall within the bottom flanges of-the front and rear walls, an outwardly swinging cover engageabie with the top edges of the' side walls and the top flange of the front wall, said cover being collapsible to a position,

alongside the inner face of the rear walL.

In testimony whereof,;we hereunto aflix our signatures.

I HENRY H. YERK.

WILLIAM J. 'BAUMBERGER. 

